The new warehouse at the Komatsu manufacturing complex in Longview, Texas, features insulated metal panels from Metl-Span in both the roof and wall systems. Photos: LMCurbs

When a warehouse
at the Komatsu manufacturing complex in Longview, Texas, sustained extensive tornado
damage, the company decided to build a new, state-of-the-art warehouse in its
place.

Komatsu turned to a trusted business partner, Transet Co., a Longview-based design-build contractor, to demolish the old structure and construct its 81,438-square-foot replacement. The new warehouse features insulated metal panels (IMPs) from Metl-Span in both the roof and wall systems, as well as a permanent rooftop walkway system from LMCurbs, which was installed to facilitate ongoing maintenance of the rooftop HVAC units.

According to Dale Pickard, project manager for Transet Co., the
IMPs not only made for smooth construction, but they helped the warehouse meet building envelope energy requirements.

Challenges on the
project included a tight schedule, unseasonably rainy weather and accommodating
nearby manufacturing facilities that were continuously operational.

The LMCurbs Roofwalk System was installed to facilitate ongoing maintenance of the rooftop HVAC units and protect the roof.

The scope of work included the removal of the previous structure and subgrade remediation. After the footings and slab were in place, the Pre-Engineered Metal Building (PEMB) was erected. The system was supplied by Houston-based Mid-West Steel Building Co. and erected by Cannon Steel Erection Co., located in Tyler, Texas.

After the metal frame
and roof purlins were in place, Cannon Steel Erection installed the IMPs to
complete the wall and roof systems. “You basically go in sequence from left to
right with the IMP roofing panels,” Pickard explains. “You just start at one
end, work to the other end, and then come back and install the panels on the
other side. It’s basically a straight line process from one end to the other.”

The roofing panels
were 42 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches thick and incorporated a standing seam. “The
panels attach at the purlin with a concealed fastener clip,” says Pickard. “The
IMP has a finished skin on the upper and lower sides.”

The seams were
hand crimped and then mechanically seamed. At the eave, a gutter system was
installed after the roof and wall panels were tied in together.

Workers on the
roof were tied off with personal fall arrest systems and retractable lifelines
attached to non-penetrating temporary anchor points. “All facets of
construction safety were of paramount importance to Transet Co.,” Pickard states.
“Safety was and is the first order of business for everybody.”

Completing the Roof Installation

The roof system features Kingspan skylights, which were installed using custom curbs supplied by LMCurbs, headquartered in Longview, Texas. LMCurbs also supplied curbs for the HVAC units, as well as the rooftop walkway system.

The LMCurbs Roofwalk System was installed using H90 clamps from S-5!

The walkway was
installed after all of the HVAC equipment was in place and the roof system was
completed. The LMCurbs Roofwalk System was designed to provide a safe way to
access HVAC equipment while protecting the roof. “It’s basically a roof access
area for the maintenance personnel to enter,” Pickard says. “It’s a railed
walkway gated at one corner of the building for access, and it goes to each one
of the rooftop units (RTUs). In all, there is more than 1,400 linear feet of
walkway.”

The system was mounted using S-5! H90 clamps. “There were no penetrations in the roof,” Pickard points out. “It’s a durable system that will protect the owner’s investment in the roof.”

According to Aaron
Combs, product manager at LMCurbs, the project was one of the first to use the
company’s redesigned LMCurbs Roofwalk System with upgraded handrails. “It was
designed to be both a better looking, more professional end product for the
building owner, and a more user-friendly system for the installers in the
field,” Combs says. “The new handrail assembly utilizes Speed-Rail fitting by
Hollaender and is now down to four pieces — from 28— so the number of man-hours
needed to install the system is drastically reduced. It also streamlined the
warehousing and distribution process because the redesigned support plates
eliminated multiple manufacturing processes. With this redesign and stackable
plates, we are able to maintain better stocking levels and provide our
customers with a faster shipping timeframe.”

Field
installations often present unique and unforeseen obstacles. On this project,
when the location of some HVAC units was adjusted from the initial layout,
Combs was ready to help ensure the walkway would be installed correctly. “We
are always available to offer advice and technical support, and that can be
especially important with a first-time installer,” Combs says. “They can
contact us any time and we can help walk them through it and assist with any
issues that might arise.”

Work began in
April 2019 and wrapped up February 2020. “We had a wet start, which made soil
remediation difficult,” notes Pickard. “In the latter part of our project, we
had an extremely wet January and February, and that presented challenges in
erection and finish out. Despite the bad weather, the building came together
ahead of schedule.”

Coordinating all
phases of the project at an active manufacturing campus also posed some
logistical hurdles. “The existing plant, of course, was in operation the entire
time,” recalls Pickard. “The site where the new warehouse was being built was
where the old warehouse facility was, and the existing loading dock had to
remain in operation until they were in the new building. That encroached on the
footprint of the new facility.”

Final
touches included new loading docks, interior offices and restrooms. “This
project shows our ability to deliver an outcome that meets the client’s needs
from design to finished product — safely, under budget, and ahead of schedule,”
notes Pickard.

“It demonstrates our ability to provide a first-class warehouse facility for the owner. We’ve been doing it a long time. Our company has been in business for 38 years. We are a safety-oriented company with vast experience in most phases of commercial, industrial, and institutional construction, and we are there for our customers.”

Kingspan Light + Air North America unveils its new advanced technology dome. The strong polycarbonate dome shape was engineered to meet all new building code standards and can be customized to fit any space.

According to the company, the new skylight product is currently available in single, double and triple glazed options to enhance thermal performance. Outer domes will typically be clear or white, with multiple options for inner domes based on U-value or lower SHGC needs. All domes will be able to capture light even at low angles and offer an even diffusion of light with less glare.

“Kingspan is proud to have responded to current industry demands and updated code requirements with a more durable, stronger skylight solution,” said Kyle McEnroe Vice President of Sales, Skylights, Kingspan Light + Air. “This new product will offer all of these benefits without sacrificing light capture and diffusion capabilities.”

Kingspan Light + Air North America has scaled the size of the company’s innovative two-panel UniQuad system to create the more modular and versatile UniQuad Translucent Windowsfor smaller envelope openings.

According to the company, architects can expect the same durability, seamless integration and clean look they have for years from the UniQuad system — just in a smaller size. Providing 25 percent greater light transmission than other daylighting products on the market, UniQuad eliminates glare and hot spots found in glass applications, allowing for a more controlled indoor environment.

“We’ve taken our innovative two-panel UniQuad system and scaled it to create something more efficient for smaller applications,” said Rafael Rivero, VP of Commercial, Kingspan Light + Air. “Ideal for both new and retrofit projects, the UniQuad Translucent Windows are the solution for any size building looking to reap the full health and wellness benefits of glare-free daylighting.”

Available in heights up to 6 feet, UniQuad Translucent Windows can be built in limitless lengths. With the ability to specify custom window sizes and colors, the two-panel system allows buildings to coordinate with corporate or campus colors, or design a new and innovative look.

UniQuad Translucent Windows feature the same two-panel composition with Removeable Skin Technology (RST) as the UniQuad system, allowing for the removal of the exterior panel while the interior panel remains in place. Additional insulation can be added between the two panels to improve thermal performance and further increase efficiency.

According to the manufacturer, UniQuad Translucent Windows can help buildings achieve LEED certification and other sustainability goals and are NFRC certified. UniQuad Translucent Windows come with a 10-year warranty against discoloration, loss of translucence, delamination and color change.

Skyco Skylights Inc. announced that the company has been acquired by Kingspan Light & Air LLC.

Ryan Marshall, chief executive officer of Skyco, said, “I’m pleased to announce that after a successful five years, Skyco Skylights Inc. is joining forces with Kingspan Light & Air LLC. Kingspan’s acquisition of Skyco will enable us to continue our mission of utilizing innovation and value-added technology to develop better quality, longer lasting skylights. Kingspan offers Skyco a wealth of resources and the ability to reach beyond our current scope, while Skyco brings to Kingspan proprietary design and engineering expertise, as well as cutting edge manufacturing capabilities.”

According to Marshall, Skyco will begin doing business under the Kingspan Light & Air brand once the acquisition is completed.

Morin announced the company has named Karen Hamilton Regional Sales Manager – Southwest. Hamilton joined Morin in early 2019 as the Regional Sales Manager for Florida State. Specifically, she will be covering east of the Apalachicola River on the Florida panhandle and will also work in close alignment with the fast-growing Morin testing and production facility in Deland, Florida. She has already had training in DeLand and Bristol, Connecticut, and she will add immediate value to the team by leveraging her prior 18 years of experience in sales and architectural specification development to increase Morin’s market share in Florida.

Amongst other notable achievements, Hamilton received her Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design from Missouri State University, maintains a CDT certification from the Construction Specification Institute (CSI), and was a past Vice President elect of the St. Louis CSI chapter.

Kingspan OPTIM-R is a next-generation insulation comprising rigid vacuum insulation panels (VIP) with a microporous core, which is evacuated, encased and sealed in a thin, gas-tight envelope to give outstanding R-values and an ultra-thin insulation solution. According to the manufacturer, the high level of thermal efficiency — up to R-28 on 1 inch and R-57 on 2 inch using calculated edge thermal resistance properties — combined with minimal thickness, provides an ideal solution for applications where a lack of construction space or depth is an issue, such as commercial roofing for single-ply low slope and IRMA systems.

OPTIM-R panels are accompanied with polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation infill panels for single-ply systems or XPS insulation infill panels for IRMA systems, which can be cut to fit around problem areas such as sky lights or other roofing penetrations. In retrofit applications, OPTIM-R can provide solutions for areas that previously would have remained un–insulated because of insufficient space available. In new construction, the product can significantly enhance U–values/R–values in areas that would otherwise be accepted as diminishing the overall thermal performance.

Keith Spurlin is joining Morin, A Kingspan Group Company, in the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing effective immediately. Spurlin will oversee and manage Morin regional sales managers and independent representative groups across the USA.

Keith states: “At Morin, I will leverage my sales, technical design and metal façade expertise to grow our market share of the single element metal wall and roof panel industry in North America.”

Keith has a history with Kingspan, both in sales and business development while at Kingspan Insulated Panels. There he executed sales strategy and promoted high performance insulated metal panel (IMP) roof and wall systems to customers, building owners, contractors and design professionals.

Overall, Keith’s career has included high performance building envelope sales leadership, over a decade practicing as an architectural designer on regional and international projects, and tangent experience in metal façade documentation and construction. He will be based out of Charlotte, NC.

Johns Manville announced the company has formed a partnership with Logistics Lighting to create the Johns Manville skylight program. The skylight program was established to allow JM to integrate skylights into clients’ projects and incorporate a seamless process for including a complete system with the roofing package. This program includes various skylight products with different brands in order to provide the most cost-effective option, with up to a 20-year warranty. The products offered through the program include skylights, smoke vents, tubular skylights, safety screens, burglar bars and roof curbs. There are also several services offered through the JM skylight program, including design and layout of skylights, energy savings calculations, specification review, submittal packages, and project specific meetings with designers and contractors.

This program has allowed JM to broaden the company’s offering and create more opportunities for customers to diversify based on their needs. The goal of the partnership was to combine Logistics Lighting’s extensive knowledge of skylights with the expertise that JM brings to roofing, creating real value for the consumers. According to JM, this partnership provides consumers with quality products, a competitive price, and a guarantee that is backed by a trusted company.

The JM skylight program includes a skylight warranty, issued by JM, as an addendum to the 20-year roof guarantee. The 20-year guarantee is only available on Velux and Kingspan products. The other two brands that are offered are Sunoptics and Wasco, and those have up to five and 10-year warranties, depending on the product.

President of Logistics Lighting Eric Huffman stated, “We are proud to be a part of the Johns Manville skylight program. We are honored to serve Johns Manville clients and sales team, and to provide the finest skylight and smoke vent options for their projects, combined with the best warranty available. The skylight program allows JM to help their clients to cost-effectively meet their daylighting and sustainability goals, and serve as a single source for the entire roof guarantee.”

When Ilhan Eser and his wife Kamer decided to build their new home in Woodland, Calif., they had some ambitious criteria in mind. They wanted the home to not only be energy efficient, but to produce enough energy to be self-sustaining. They also desired a home with great aesthetics that fit in with the beautiful countryside and minimized impact on the environment.

Ilhan and Kamer Eser decided to design and build their own home on 80 acres of land in the California countryside. Their goal was to have a LEED-certifiable house powered by solar energy and protected by a highly insulated metal wall and roof system.

As the CEO of Morin, a Kingspan Group company, Eser had another key design goal: to showcase his company’s metal roof and wall systems. “We wanted to do something that was good for the environment and the country,” Eser recalls. “So we said, let’s do a LEED-certifiable, net-zero house that will be a house of the future, if you will, using our company’s products. Our company is all about being environmental and being green and being sustainable, so that was the starting point.”

The result is a home that provides more than enough energy to meet its own needs with solar panels. It also captures graywater (gently used household wastewater) to use for irrigation and features a cutting-edge geothermal heating and cooling system that does not burn fossil fuels. All the household systems can be operated with a smartphone. “I believe in the future every house will be built like this, with your energy on top of your roof, basically,” Eser notes.

The metal roofing and wall systems are made of durable, highly recyclable materials and provide a high level of insulation to help keep energy costs down. The roof design features stunning angles, including an inverted “butterfly” roof over the great room to bring in the maximum amount of natural light.

As he began the project, Eser soon realized that he was breaking new ground in more ways than one. He found most residential architects and general contractors were unfamiliar with metal framing, roofs and walls, so he decided to tackle the design himself. He also served as his own general contractor, tapping into his 30 years of experience in commercial and industrial applications.

“I decided to look at it as if it were a light commercial building, and then I started finding people,” he says. “It was an interesting experience. I designed the house myself—although my wife had the overriding power, as always. She had to approve whatever I did, and when we had an argument, you probably can imagine who won.”

The Project Takes Wing

When it came time to discuss installing the roof and wall systems, Eser called Rua and Son Mechanical Inc., headquartered in Lincoln, Calif. According to President Louie Rua, the company focuses on metal roofing and wall panels—and that’s all they’ve done for the last 25 years. “We are very specialized in what we do,” Rua says. “We’re certified installers for most if not all of the metal roofing systems out there, and we also do our own custom fabrication. It’s become a niche market, so we travel around quite a bit.”

The roof of the Eser residence features unconventional angles, including a large section over the great room with an inverted butterfly design that required an internal gutter system.

The company has made a name for itself by excelling on high-end, intricate and cutting-edge metal projects that transcend typical warehouse applications. “We’ve found that when we go outside the box and take on the real difficult projects, the ones that are a little bit intimidating for other companies, that’s where we excel,” Rua says. “We’ve been doing it so long, and our team has a wealth of experience. When the trickier jobs come around, we are well equipped to handle them.”

This project was right up the company’s alley. “Ilhan was pretty adamant he wanted us to do it,” Rua recalls. “This was his personal house, so it was quite a compliment. I took on the challenge, and we took it very seriously. We worked through what it would cost, how long it would take, all the dynamics. His design team did all the preliminary design and then our team got in there and played with it a little bit and made a few tweaks. We put a lot of thought into those details.”

Rua admits the high-profile nature of the client and the complexity of the project were daunting. “Any job when you first jump into it and see it’s outside the box can be intimidating,” Rua says. “But then as you get familiar with it and start breaking it down and working through it, it gets easier. One of my lead superintendents, Fernando Huizar, was knee-deep in it, and he and Ilhan really hit it off, which is important. The relationship with our clients is our first priority, and on every job we strive to meet and exceed their expectations. It couldn’t have gone any smoother.”

Rua and Son Mechanical installed the double-layered roof and wall systems, which consisted of insulated metal panels (IMPs) and aluminum finish systems. The 7,500 square feet of exterior walls are made up of 4-inch-thick IMPs, topped with concealed-fastener panels. The mechanically seamed roof incorporates 8,000 square feet of 6-inch IMPs. The custom finish is Kameleon Dusty Rose, which changes color from green to yellow to silver to bronze to brown, depending on the amount of sunlight hit-ting it and angle from which it is viewed.

Morin, a Kingspan Group company, has introduced the SymmeTry Roof Series, a mechanically seamed structural roof system that is symmetrical and hydrostatic by design.

Morin, a Kingspan Group company, has introduced the SymmeTry Roof Series, a mechanically seamed structural roof system that is symmetrical and hydrostatic by design. A symmetrical metal roof system does not “lap” over an adjacent panel like standard asymmetrical panels. Symmetrical panels install side by side and have a mechanically seamed “cap” that has two beads of continuous butyl sealant, creating a watertight seam. MORIN’s SymmeTry Roof Series vertical panel legs range from 1 1/2 to 3 inches in height. Because they are bidirectional, the panels can be installed going left to right, right to left, and start from any point of the roof. Symmetrical panels are specified and installed to allow for unlimited thermal expansion and contraction, providing the advantage of installing panels up to 300 feet in length.

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May/June 2020

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Roofing is a national publication that unravels, investigates and analyzes how to properly design, install and maintain a roof system. Through the voices of professionals in the field, Roofing’s editorial provides a unique perspective.